This review was made possible by UNICEF’s Bosnia and Herzegovina (BiH) Country Office and with financial support from the Norwegian Embassy in BiH. In particular, the review team would like to convey its sincere appreciation to Dr. Rownak Khan, Representative of the UNICEF BiH Country Office, Sanja Kabil, Head of the UNICEF BiH Education Programme, Lamija Landžo, Education Specialist, and Amila Madzak, Adolescent Development Officer, for their guidance, support and insight throughout the review process. We are also grateful to the researchers, non-governmental organisations, representatives of the private sector and international community, school leaders, teachers, teacher unions, and students who kindly gave their time to share their views, experience and knowledge with us.
The review team would also like to give a special thanks to the Government of Bosnia and Herzegovina, under the leadership of the Ministry of Civil Affairs, for inviting the OECD to conduct this review and for the ministry’s valuable support and contributions. The review equally benefitted from contributions made by the Ministry of Education and Culture of Republika Srpska; the Department for Education of the Government of the Brčko District; the Federal Ministry of Education and Science of the Federation of BiH; the Ministry of Education, Science, Youth, Culture, and Sports of the Central Bosnia Canton; the Ministry of Education and Upbringing of the Sarajevo Canton; and the Ministry of Education, Science, Culture and Sports of the West Herzegovina Canton. We are very grateful to the pedagogical institutions and institutes that participated in the review, and other government actors who shared their insights and knowledge with us, in particular officials from the Agency for Pre-Primary, Primary and Secondary Education (APOSO); the Agency for Higher Education Development and Quality Assurance (HEA); the Agency for Statistics of Bosnia and Herzegovina, as well as the statistical agencies of the Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina, of Republika Srpska and of the Brčko District.
The OECD review team was led by Elizabeth Fordham (OECD Secretariat), co-ordinated by Caitlyn Guthrie (OECD Secretariat) and included Annie Norfolk Beadle (formerly OECD Secretariat), Anna Vitória Périco e Santos (OECD Secretariat), Kirsteen Henderson (external education consultant), as well as Aleksandar Baucal (Professor at the Faculty of Philosophy, University of Belgrade). The review team is grateful for the support and advice of Andreas Schleicher, OECD Director for Education and Skills, and Paulo Santiago, Head of the Policy Advice and Implementation Division, OECD Directorate for Education and Skills. Karol Łuczka (OECD Secretariat) provided research support. Anne-Victoire Suteau provided administrative support and Marika Prince provided editorial support and helped organise the publication process. Rachel Linden also helped to prepare the draft for publication.